


a thousand generations (live in you)

by luminousbeingsweare



Series: in a galaxy far, far away (my sw fics) [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Feels, Canon??, Child Luke Skywalker, Fix-It of Sorts, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Ghost Qui-Gon Jinn, Gen, In this house we love and respect the Jedi Order, Jedi Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Like you know??, Love Doesn't Equal Attachment, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Maybe this is the wrong fic for this tag ahah, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Padawan Luke Skywalker, Post-Order 66, Pre-Star Wars: A New Hope, Tatooine (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24544573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luminousbeingsweare/pseuds/luminousbeingsweare
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi expected to spend the rest of his life watching over the child of his former Padawan. What he didn't account for was the Skywalker Tendency to completely subvert expectations (and become inordinately attached to him).-Luke latches onto Ben Jinn, the Wizard of the Wastes, and his future Jedi Master, no matter what his Aunt and Uncle say. No one except Luke is on board with this.
Relationships: Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Luke Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: in a galaxy far, far away (my sw fics) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1773922
Comments: 76
Kudos: 525





	1. Chapter 1

_Obi-Wan, you cannot keep ignoring me._

Obi-Wan Kenobi looked away and pursed his lips together tightly. The ghostly figure of his old Master stood there, glowing with a light blue aura outlining his form. There was a moment of silence as Obi-Wan breathed in and out, simply taking in the presence of his Master, even if he wasn't particularly glad to speak with him at the moment. He felt a void that has been left after the mission to Naboo, the gaping wound begin to heal as he felt the presence of Qui-Gon so near and _here_ , even if he wasn't exactly living.

The Force had been so dark, even before the fall of the Jedi Order. With Qui-Gon here, he could pretend, if only just for a moment, that he was back in the Temple, his Master by his side. Without having to fight in a constant war, battle Sith and Darkside users, and watch as the Order he'd pledged his very being towards crumbling into something unrecognizable and then be torn apart entirely. 

_You must teach the boy. You cannot simply leave him to his own devices. There are many others who would be quick to use that much power for nefarious purposes._

Damn it all, Qui-Gon had a point, but at the same time…

"It's not as if I'm dropping him off here and leaving him alone. I'm watching over him, as I have been doing the last few years and I shall continue to do so until I no longer can."

Qui-Gon looked displeased, a very familiar expression he remembered both fondly and at the same time not from his Padawan days.

_If you wait too long to teach him, you may not get the chance to at all. Every day that passes by, the closer you both are to being discovered by the Sith._

Obi-Wan sighed. "It doesn't matter. Even if I wished to teach him, his guardians do not wish for me to so much as look at Luke, let alone teach him the ways of the Jedi."

Qui-Gon's eyes narrowed dangerously.

_Yes, I've heard all about their disparaging thoughts regarding the Force and the Jedi. They believe in gravity, yet the Force is too abstract of a concept to acknowledge the existence of?_

Obi-Wan glanced at the door to his home, resigned. "If it makes you feel better, I shall endeavor to spend more time with Luke, even if I cannot train him in the ways of the Force. I can check to see if the Lars require any assistance with his care whilst I'm there…"

Qui-Gon gazed sadly at his former Padawan.

_Oh Obi-Wan, I am so sorry. I am here, you are not alone. You need not carry this burden alone._

Obi-Wan left his home shortly after with a flare of his robes. 

* * *

Luke was happy. His Uncle was watching him as he pushed his toy ship across the floor with a small push of his hands when there was a knock on the door. Luke glanced over as his Aunt came out of the refresher and went over to answer. His Uncle reached over to pick Luke up, who didn’t hesitate to latch onto his guardian.

His Aunt went over opened the door and he felt her _surpriseshock_ as whoever was at the door. Luke couldn’t see who it was but he could _feel_ them. They shone with light, and Luke immediately felt the _hesitantionanxietyhope_ of the other being.

Luke watched, entranced, as the figure with the warm light grew closer and closer. He knew this person...he knew him well.

It was him, his person! He remembered his person, the first thing, and the only thing he'd known for the first week of his life. He'd recognize the feel of his person's light anywhere, not to mention the small smile and caring hands specific to his person.

Luke reached out to that familiar warm presence and felt a wave of amusement and joy wash over him. Delighted, Luke raised his arms towards his person, waving and wishing for them to pick him up so he can get even closer. Frustratingly, the figure ignored him and turned to his Uncle, who frowned back at him, sending _disgustfearanger_ in his person's direction. This, in turn, upset Luke. Why would Uncle feel like that at his person?

Luke let out a cry and leaned over to his person as much as his small body could, arms stretched as far as he could reach. He felt a spike of _alarm_ from his uncle before his person swiftly grabbed Luke and carried him in his arms.

Overjoyed at finally getting to be close to his person, Luke grinned and patted his hands gently against his person's face. It was smooth and rough at the same time which confused Luke until he realized that the rough part was not skin and was hair just like he had on his head. Fascinated by the vibrant red shade of his person's hair, Luke grabbed onto the hair on his person's head, missing how his person winced in pain and gently untangled Luke's fingers from his hair.

Luke looked down into his person's eyes, meeting their blue-green with his vibrant blue. His person's smiled gently and while running a thumb across his cheek said, "Hello there. We were never formally introduced. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, though you should call me Ben."

Luke laughed. "Ben!"

Ben gazed fondly at Luke, the warm presence growing stronger along with the feeling of _warmsafehomelove_ that the man gave off towards Luke.

Suddenly, his Uncle snatched him from Ben's hands. He said something, giving off a large wave of _anger_ though Luke didn't pay much attention to that. Instead, he watched as Ben's light dimmed as his Uncle kept talking, and an aura of _sadregretdespair_ surrounded the smaller man.

Angrily, Luke mashed his tiny fists against his Uncle's shoulders and wailed. His Uncle's words were making his Ben's feelings hurt, so he should stop talking and give him back to his person. Startled, his Uncle tried to stop the beating, but Luke persisted.

Nimble, warm hands held Luke's as he finally stopped his attack and felt a light kiss on each of his tiny palms.

"It's alright, little one." Ben crooned softly. His hands were squeezed briefly before Ben released him and walked away.

Luke tried to reach back out to Ben, but the man simply said, "I'll be back, Luke, I'll see you soon."

After a few more words from his Uncle - why was he still talking to his person? - Ben left the house, despite Luke's attempts to stop him from moving. Maybe next time, Luke could use his feelings to make his person stay like he made his toy ship stay in place when it had almost gotten blown away by the wind outside.

(His Aunt had stared at him after she'd seen that, the pulse of _fear_ in her growing larger.)

Luke nodded to himself, ignoring his Uncle's grumbling. Yes, that's what he'd do. Luke just needed to practice it so he could make sure his person never left him here alone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Qui-Gon: hey maybe u should train the kid you're gonna spend the next 20ish years protecting  
> Obi-Wan: how about I just stay here and wallow in despair by myself instead
> 
> Also
> 
> baby!Luke: look!! it's Him!!! my fav person in the whole galaxy wow  
> Obi-Wan: hello there, don't mind me I'm just here to look at you for a while before I go back to living alone by myself and talking to the ghosts of my loved ones


	2. Chapter 2

In the time that passed, Luke practiced using his feelings for the next time his person came around. He had come around a few times for brief periods, but left as suddenly as he came, which frustrated Luke greatly. Why couldn’t his Ben just stay here with Luke? He had tried to use the same feelings he had when he stopped his toy ship to try and stop his Ben, but it didn’t seem to work.

(Ben had felt the _hurtfrustrationanger_ emanating from the young boy and spent the rest of the day with Luke calming him and telling him why he shouldn’t try to use his bad feelings on someone else like that. Ben didn’t come back for a long time after that incident, so Luke made sure not to do the same thing again the next time he came around.)

A short while after Ben’s first real visit (at least, that he could remember), Luke had started school with the other children from the area. He enjoyed learning and playing with his new friend, a boy named Biggs who lived a short way away, at least compared to Ben who lived across the Dune Sea. However, what he liked was how sometimes Luke could feel his Ben watching him when he was going to and from school. He never came close enough to talk to him, but Luke could feel him there and he felt _safewarmprotected_ so he never got scared when he walked alone, even on the days when Ben wasn’t there to watch him. Luke had the feeling that his Uncle and Aunt wouldn’t like to know how Ben when watching him, so he didn’t say anything. He had the feeling that his family didn’t like his Ben for some reason.

Today, Luke had felt the bright presence that was his Ben move closer in his direction, meaning the older man was coming around for a visit. Unfortunately, it seemed to be one of the shorter visits, where the man said a quick hello and asked if he and his family were doing well. Luke responded accordingly and tried to invite the man in politely, the way Aunt Beru taught him, but his Ben only looked amused and declined, saying he needed to return home quickly. After a few more pleas, Ben acquiesced, sitting down on a nearby storage bin, Luke sat by his feet.

Another good thing about going to school was that Luke now had a lot of things to talk about with Ben, who never seemed to grow bored of the things Luke talked about like his Uncle and Aunt had been sometimes. Ben seemed _amusedcontentpensive_ , but less _sadmournfulheartache_ when Luke talked to him so Luke tried to talk to him as much as he could. It wasn’t like Luke was tired of talking to Ben; he liked sitting with him, feeling connected to him in a way that was different from everyone else, even his family. So Luke sat there in the sand, telling the 'strange hermit', as a classmate had once called him (Luke had thrown a handful of sand in the other's child's face, angry at the mean taunt from someone who didn't even know Ben), all about his day and school.

* * *

Unfortunately, when Luke had finished talking about his entire school day, Ben decided that it was time for him to leave.

"Alright, Luke, I must leave now. I'm sure you have better things to do with your time than talking to me, such as dinner" Ben smiled as he stood up, preparing to leave.

Luke protested, saying that he wasn't hungry, a claim which was refuted when his stomach decided to growled loudly at that moment. Ben laughed and told Luke they could continue their discussion another time.

Luke pouted but obliged, letting the man leave without further fuss. Luke was trying not to scare him away like that one time he accidentally did, so he listened and waved him goodbye, watching as the man became smaller and smaller in the distance and his presence moved farther away. When he couldn’t see him anymore, Luke headed back inside.

His Uncle and Aunt were sat at the dining table, and both turned to face him when he entered the room. Aunt Beru shook her head at him, covered in sand after playing outside, and standing around talking to Ben. She told him to go clean himself up and then return for dinner. After scrubbing himself clean, Luke returned to the table and sat down, hungry after a long day out at school and talking to Ben.

As he sat down, Aunt Beru asked, “What were you doing for so long, Luke? It’s past dinner time.”

Luke smiled. “I was talking to Ben.”

Uncle Owen’s eyes narrowed. “What were you talking to _him_ for?”

Luke frowned. Why wouldn’t he want to talk to Ben? Couldn’t they feel him like Luke could?

“Why not?”

His Uncle and Aunt shared a look over his head, before turning back to look down at Luke.

You shouldn’t talk to that man." Uncle Owen's mouth curled at the thought of Luke spending his time outside talking to Ben instead of doing anything else, which just made Luke even more frustrated.

"I _like_ talking to Ben. I'm _supposed_ to talk to him, I can feel it. It feels good when i talk to Ben."

"No, Luke, I forbid it. No more talking to Ben Jinn, especially when we're not there."

"I won’t." Luke declared, refusing to be swayed.

His Uncle refused to relent, his face turning increasingly red as he argued with the child. “There will be no more of this nonsense with that crazy old wizard. You are to stay away from him, do you understand me, Luke?”

Luke frowned deeply and stood from his seat, the anger in him starting to flare and he felt his chest tighten with emotion.

"I said, do you understand?" His Uncle repeated.

Luke's face twisted as his eyes narrowed back at his Uncle.

"No," He finally replied, petulantly.

His Uncle's eyes widened. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

‘I SAID NO!” Luke shouted, stomping his foot angrily. 

“Luke-” Aunt Beru tried to interject, but Luke was beyond reason at this point.

The plate and cups on the table started to rattle like they were being shaken by a person holding them. The chair on the side toppled over with a large thump, causing all three occupants of the room to jump in surprise. His Aunt looked stunned like she didn’t recognize who Luke was. His Uncle, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly red, obviously trying to rein in his temper, not that it mattered as Luke could feel the steady wave of _angerfearshock_ coming off of him.

There was a buzzing sound in Luke’s head, which kept getting louder. He needed it to stop. He needed to leave, run away, get away from the buzzing that got louder the angrier he felt.

Luke turned and ran out the front door, ignoring the sound of his Uncle and Aunt’s shouts to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke: i love going to school cause the hermit who lives in the desert watches over me sometimes when i walk  
> Biggs: that...sounds scary
> 
> Also
> 
> Luke, throwing a tantrum: you can't make me do anything, i have magic powers. look
> 
> Qui-Gon, watching Luke throw plates at his family in anger: oh dear


	3. Chapter 3

Luke sniffed as tears started to pour down his red cheeks. He angrily wiped them away, kicking the sand at his feet away. He didn’t want to listen to his Uncle. Why was he being so mean to his Ben? It wasn’t fair. Luke had been wandering for some time now, the suns now much lower than they had been before, the sky continuously becoming darker as the night rapidly approached. Luke wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do once it got dark; he'd lost his way a long time ago, not having kept track of the different directions he had aimlessly walked in. There was little chance he'd be able to find his way home on his own.

A glimpse of light caught his attention as he turned his head to look at his surroundings. The light steadily grew closer and closer as Luke felt a wave of emotion not belonging to him. Luke almost fell over in his haste to rush over.

Ben's kind, warm face greeted Luke over the side of the small hill. Luke grinned widely and threw himself into the man's arms, relief coursing through his veins. Ben had found him so everything would be okay now. Ben briefly, but fiercely, hugged Luke back but let go after a few short moments.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you Luke, but what are you doing out here on your own at this time?"

Luke looked down at his feet, feeling the _shame_ and _anger_ run through him. "I ran away."

Ben was silent for a moment before he finally said, "Is that so? I suppose, in that case, you'd better come with me. Unless you're opposed to it?"

Luke nodded quickly. "No, no, I want to come with you please."

Ben's lips twitched upward for a second. The man slowly folded his knees, lowering himself to the ground, his back turned to Luke. It took Luke a few moments to understand what the man was offering him before he eagerly wrapped his limbs around the other man. 

"Are you alright there?" Ben asked as Luke adjusted his grip on him.

"Yes," Luke replied.

As Ben straightened up, Luke tightened his legs around the other man's waist, the worry of the last hour or so washing away. They walked the rest of the way, Luke clinging to his back, trying to hide his large grin in Ben's robes.

* * *

Eventually, they reach Ben's house. It's small, yet put together well, not something you'd expect a so-called 'hermit' to live in. It was perfect. Luke slid off Ben's back when he crouched back down to let him off, immediately reaching to grab his hand, unwilling to let the man go. He suddenly felt nervous, unsure of what to do as Ben invited him into his house. He beelined for the table in the corner of the room, plopping down on a seat.

He watched as Ben took his robes off, hanging them off of the other chair at the table, and made his way towards the small kitchen a few paces away.

"Are you hungry, Luke?" Ben asked over his shoulder as he looked through the fridge. Luke paused, his desire to eat warring with the manners that his Aunt instilled in him.

Ben smiled as if he knew what Luke was thinking. It made the light in him grow brighter, prompting Luke to answer shyly, "Yes, I'm a little hungry, I guess."

Ben hummed and removed a bowl of Meiloorun fruit, the sight of which caused Luke's mouth to water. Ben brought to bowl over to the table in front of Luke, sitting on the other seat, across from Luke. Luke looked down at the bowl, up at Ben, and back down at the bowl before pushing the bowl to the middle of the table. Ben blinked, confused at the seeming rejection of the snack he'd prepared.

"Here, we can share." Luke proclaimed.

"Luke-" Ben tried to argue, but Luke wouldn't have it.

"No. We share." To illustrate, Luke reached into the bowl, grabbed a piece of fruit, and stuck it into his mouth before grabbing another piece and holding it out, offering it to Ben. Ben hesitated, but eventually relented, grabbing the fruit from Luke's small fingers and placing it in his mouth.

After all the fruit was eaten (the last piece split for the two of them at Luke's insistence), Ben asked why he'd ran away from home. Luke's cheeks flushed, the _shame_ and _anger_ from earlier rising in him again. "I got mad at Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru and stuff were shaking and the chair fell over and I got scared so I ran away." He tried to explain.

Ben kept his face blank, and for the first time, Luke couldn't tell what he was feeling. His presence was still there, but it was muted like he was trying to hear something when his ears are covered by earmuffs. Luke continued, noticeably more restless than before. "I told them that I was talking to you and they said that I shouldn't do that anymore." Feeling the ever-constant _despairsadnessworry_ increase in Ben, Luke hastily added, "But I said no because I like talking to you and," Luke felt his cheeks grow hotter, "I feel safe with you."

There was a long moment of silence after this confession. Luke was almost afraid to look up at Ben so he focused on his emotions which swung from _joy_ to _confusion,_ before finally settling on _concern_.

"Luke, what exactly were you planning to do once it got dark?"

Luke bit his lip sheepishly avoiding Ben's intent gaze. "I-I don't know. Find a cave to sleep in?"

The stone-cold look on Ben's face stopped any further explanation in it's tracks, causing the words to shrivel up and die a premature death in Luke's throat. Finally, Ben responded. "It's a good thing I got there when I did, otherwise who knows what could have happened." He narrowed his eyes at Luke, who shivered as the many stories of the dangerous beings that lurked around at night flashed through his mind.

"I trust something like this won't be happening again, at least any time soon?"

Luke nodded slowly. Ben's expression softened as he saw how it was affecting Luke, and furrowed his brows as he considered Luke, staring at him like he could see through his body at his light as Luke did with Ben. Eventually, Ben sighed, glancing away before looking Luke straight in the eyes.

"I can teach you something to help you try and control your feelings so you don't do accidentally use th-your _feelings_ to make things move like that." Ben stumbled on his words, but Luke didn't notice as a feeling of _joyhappyelation_ filled him. Ben was going to teach him about the special light and feelings that they had, which nobody else did (he'd checked, but no one came anywhere close to how bright Ben felt).

Absentmindedly, Ben twitched his fingers and the bowl lifted off the table and floated into the kitchen, unaware of how Luke's eyes widened and tracked it's movements with awe. Luke accepted immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke: *watching Obi-Wan levitate a bowl*  
> Luke: oMG ur a wizard??? teach me ur magic pls!!  
> Obi-Wan, realizing what he's just unleashed: Qui-Gon help, it's ur turn to teach a Skywalker pls i'm begging
> 
> Also
> 
> Ben: i swear i'm just gonna teach him meditation that's it  
> Ben, two hours later: so the Jedi Code starts with 'there is no emotion...'


	4. Chapter 4

"Breathe out Luke and feel the for-energy around you. Take your feelings, the ones you don't want, and move them out of you and into the energy around you." Luke sat in what Ben called a meditation pose, sitting on the floor across from Ben who was trying to teach him how to meditate.

  
  


(He struggled to sit still and clear his mind, something which caused Ben to laugh and remark that his father had been the same way. Luke almost fell over, asking questions about his father and how Ben knew him until he noticed the despairworryagony emanating from Ben, and immediately stopped, lying that it wasn't that important. It was, but Luke could be patient and wait for another time when Ben the questions wouldn't cause him such pain. Luke didn't think that day would ever come.)

  
  


Luke pouted, opening his eyes and looked down at his hands. "I can't do it."

  
  


Ben replied without opening his eyes, "Yes you can, Luke. Focus and try to find your centre, the place you feel calm."

  
  


Luke closed his eyes and tried again, but all he could feel was Ben's bright presence in front of him and the overwhelming energy surrounding him. He huffed dejectedly.

  
  


His eyes opened as Ben gently held his hands, reminding him of the time he had done the same, quite some time ago, and met Ben's earnest gaze with his frustration. Ben smiled at Luke and reiterated, "Fret not, Young Luke. I'll teach you how to meditate before you leave here. Many things are possible with-" He faltered, abruptly stopping as his eyes left Luke and the feeling of  _ pain _ , so much clearer and present because of their meditation, grew in Ben.

  
  


Luke smiled hesitantly, unsure of how to lessen the pain coming from Ben. "Okay. Thanks, Ben."

  
  


Ben gave a small smile back and they continued the lesson, the feeling of  _ pain _ slowly decreasing with every passing minute.

* * *

Obi-Wan assigned Luke with attempting meditation on his own, while he commed the Lars’ to inform them that Luke was with him and not still out wandering the desert hours later. They weren’t particularly glad that Luke was with him, but they expressed relief that Luke was alright, and told him to bring him back soon. When relayed this information, Luke was not pleased, pleading for him to continue his lesson. To appease the youngling, he showed him a few different methods for meditation and told him to practice them and find which worked best for him by his next visit. Overjoyed with his lesson, Luke promised to work hard to not disappoint him, with a determined expression on his face. He agreed to leave a short while later, and they set off on their way, riding one of the Banthas Obi-Wan was familiar with after the time he spent tending to various animals who lingered in the area. Throughout their journey, Luke became visibly heavy-eyed, until he was to the point of nodding off, leaning against Obi-Wan as he struggled to keep himself from falling off the large animal. By the time they reached the homestead, Obi-Wan was carrying Luke in his arms, the child holding onto his shoulders and waist, not dissimilar to how he’d carried the boy hours ago, except the child held onto his front this time.

When they reached the farm, they were greeted by Owen and Beru, who greeted him in the same, distant manner as always. When they spotted Luke in his arms, he was lead inside by Beru to where Luke slept, a small room on the other side of the farm.

When he reached the bedroom, Obi-Wan pushed the door open his a small Force-Push, and strode towards the small bed in the corner of the room. He bent over and attempted the rouse the drowsy child.

"Luke," Obi-Wan said softly. "You can let go now." 

Obi-Wan tried to shake off the child's grip to no avail. He sighed, an unwilling-fond smile rising to his lips. He didn't truly understand why Luke was so drawn to him. At first, he'd assumed it was because the youngling had remembered from the time they had spent on the journey to Tatooine. Then, he thought it was because he'd recognized his presence in the Force as either the first person to hold him after birth or as another strong Force-sensitive being, as those individuals would always be more drawn to one another than non-Force sensitives. 

Now, he wasn't exactly sure what it was that kept the boy returning to him, time and time again, despite his guardian's clear disapproval. Had it been anyone other than himself, this behavior from the child would have been...disturbing, to say the least. Of course, to the Lars' it was a nightmare; the child under their care absconding numerous times with the strange, exiled Jedi Master who had delivered the child of his step-brother, who he'd only met once very briefly, to them to raise. It was bad enough they'd given his father's surname, despite his many attempts to change their minds, but they'd refused, claiming that they wanted to make sure he'd had something of his father's to keep. He hadn't told them of the reason for Anakin's death, and they'd assumed he'd died in the initial Purge. Regardless, Luke would have to stay away from any official registration as the name Skywalker on Tatooine was bound to raise numerous flags for all sorts of individuals, including Palpatine himself. Thankfully, the residents of Tatooine didn't seem all that fond of any sort of registration, and the likelihood of any random checks was close to nil. 

"Here," Beru reached out to try and help him pry Luke off of him so he could lay Luke down, but his grasp on Obi-Wan's robes were ridiculously strong for someone so close to nodding off.

Obi-Wan shifted Luke in his arms to hold him up with one arm on his side, a simple task while keeping his grip steady with the Force, and lifted his other hand to youngling's head. He ran his hand through Luke's soft golden locks of hair, ignoring the  _ ache  _ that ran through him when he remembered another blonde child who had had this same issue.

("Master, can I stay here with you please? I promise I won't get in the way, I just had a bad dream and I'm kind of scared so-"

"Of course Anakin, there's no need to ask. Come here.")

"Luke," Obi-Wan kept his voice soft and low, "I promise I will return, but I need to go now."

Luke tightened his grip momentarily, "Stay," He demanded, his voice slurred as fought to keep his eyes open, blinking rapidly.

Obi-Wan smiled sadly. He sent a sense of  _ tiredcontentcalm _ at Luke and the child's grip finally loosened enough for him to lay the child on the bed. Before he could pull away, Luke latched onto his Force signature and sent  _ warmsafepeace  _ at him. However, it wasn't the fact that Luke had figured out enough of the Force to do so (although it was quite impressive on it's own), it was the quite fledgling bond that was there in place. Obi-Wan wasn't sure how long it had been there; it could be as far back as the child's birth when Obi-Wan held the infant right after birth and he'd opened his eyes and first saw in his life was the Jedi Master. He resolved to think more about this later, in meditation and perhaps consult with his Master, and finally exited the bedroom. Beru had left, unbeknownst to him, a short while ago, and awaited him outside with Owen, who continued to eye him disdainfully.

"Why does Luke do this? Why is he so  _ attached  _ to you?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "For once, I do not know why. That is something only Luke himself can answer. And before you ask,  _ no _ I did nothing to start or encourage this."

Owen grunted, clearly unconvinced but unable to refute his response. "It doesn't matter, it's not normal is what it is. Chasing after you like that...next thing we know he'll be going around calling you  _ Master _ ." He sneered at the title for the Jedi Master, which while understandable, was simultaneously insulting and demeaning considering he was one of the very few Jedi Masters that had survived the Purge. In a way, he was a dying breed, and the Lars’ continued egregiously derogatory remarks on the Jedi and Force-Users, in general, was wearing him thin.

“If that’s all, I’ll be on my way. I need to get back before it gets too dark and some unsavory characters attempt to prevent me from reaching home in one piece.”

With that, they let him leave without any protest, simply stopping to tell him to keep an ear out for a talk they need to be having, about Luke and his situation. Hopefully, Luke would practice the meditation techniques he had already taught him and there would be no need for any further intervention. Obi-Wan looked up at the night sky, and sighed, wishing for not the first time that he didn’t have to take on this particular task on his own.

  
_ Destined for Infinite Sadness, indeed _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke: can i please stay here forever
> 
> Obi-Wan: uh, no, but here have some extra homework
> 
> Luke, starry-eyed: Ben is the best person ever!!
> 
> Also
> 
> Luke: *struggling to meditate*
> 
> Obi-Wan: your father is the same way
> 
> Luke: my dad?? you knew- wait is?
> 
> Obi-Wan: yea, he's Darth Vader now, but I knew him before he went all evil Sith Lord
> 
> Luke: what
> 
> Obi-Wan: what
> 
> Qui-Gon, lurking invisibly in the corner of the room: you weren't supposed to tell him that yet


	5. Chapter 5

“Luke, breakfast is ready!” Aunt Beru called from the other room.

Luke opened his eyes, a sense of _calmpeacecontentment_ filling him, as sat on his bed with his legs crossed in what Ben has said was one of the meditation poses. Ever since Ben had taught him meditation over a week ago, Luke had spent hours trying and failing to do what Ben had been trying to show him, what he assigned him. A few days ago, Luke had finally found the pose that suited him the best, and he had since spent his time practicing, sometimes for hours on end. At first, it had been kind of boring, doing it on his own without Ben, but once he’d gotten the hang of it, the activity had been rather enjoyable. His Aunt and Uncle had been confused when they found him in his room, sitting on the bed instead of outside, playing with his toy figurines, the handcrafted wooden ships that Luke found around the Homestead and the surrounding area, sometimes in the strangest of places. 

(Once, he’d found a toy ship on top of Grandmother Shmi’s grave, where Uncle Owen replaced the headstone every year after the sand buried it down deep. For some reason, the toy figurines were Luke’s favourite possession. They were so meticulously made, and whenever he felt them, he could feel an echo of _lovewarmthaffection_ coming from the toy. Now that he thought about it, the feeling reminded Luke of the feelings he felt from Ben. He decided to ask Ben about it sometime.)

Luke made his way to the dining table, where his Aunt and Uncle were seated. He greeted them and reached for his glass of blue milk when his Aunt asked why he hadn’t been playing outside for the past few days. Luke hesitated to tell them, knowing that his guardians wouldn’t take too kindly to the fact that he had spoken to Ben some more and that the man had taught him something, but after a short pause, he told them.

“It’s something Ben showed me. He said it’s called _meditation_.” He enunciated the word slowly, taking care to pronounce it the same way Ben had, accent and all. His Aunt and Uncle exchanged a look over his head as if he couldn’t see them.

Uncle Owen frowned deeply, and Luke felt him give off the same feelings of _angerdisgustfear_ that his uncle felt around Ben. Fortunately, Aunt Beru opened her mouth to speak, before his uncle could, whose face was turning an awful red colour. “Does meditation help you? With your...feelings?” She stumbled, unsure of what to call Luke’s abilities.

Luke nodded quickly. “Yes, it makes me feel...good.”

Uncle Owen’s mouth twisted distastefully as he responded, “You shouldn’t listen to what that old crackpot tells you. It'll only cause you some trouble."

Luke scowled at his Uncle’s rudeness towards Ben, annoyed at how the man continued to badmouth the other despite Luke’s attempts to stop him.

Aunt Beru frowned back at his Uncle, “Look at him Owen, the meditation is clearly helping him. He’s calmer and less restless than he was before. Whatever it is, it’s doing him some good.”

Uncle Owen pursed his lips tightly together but didn’t refute what she said. They continued to eat their breakfast, talking about the work that needed to be done around the farm today when he felt it.

Luke visibly perked up, straightening in his chair as he felt the light that was indicative of Ben’s presence appear much closer than usual. Luke pushed his chair back and stood, moving to go towards the front door before he was stopped by his Aunt, who looked at him curiously. 

“What is it, Luke?”

Luke shuffled over to look around his Aunt, dragging his heel on the ground impatiently. “It’s Ben, Aunt Beru. He’s here!”

Before his Aunt could respond, Uncle Owen stood from his seat and strode towards the door, opening it roughly. Funnily enough, Ben wasn’t actually at the door yet, so his Uncle stood to hold the door open for a few minutes before Ben reached the entrance, before Uncle Owen began a tirade, accusing Ben of corrupting Luke and telling him to stay away from him.

On the outside, Ben appeared as he always did, calm and serene, however, Luke could feel the underlying _exhaustionbitternessmourning_ that was becoming increasingly stronger with every word his Uncle spit out.

“You and your magic nonsense is going to get the boy killed, running off after you, just like his father. Stay away from us and especially from him. What kind of hokey magic were you teaching Luke, huh?” Owen bellowed, a vein visibly pulsing in his forehead, his face flushed and angered.

Ben stilled as his eyes flashed dangerously, distinctly at the end of his rope. “I taught him the barest minimum of what he should know to try and control his abilities. Nothing more and nothing less. I am well aware of the contempt you hold for my people.”

Uncle Owen snarled, spit flying out of his mouth, “Your people are what caused the war. The boy’s father died, running along after you. And now that they’ve all gotten themselves killed, you’re stuck here, pestering us.”

Luke’s breath caught as he heard a small voice in his head. It sounded exactly like Ben.

_Howdarehehowdarehesaythattome_

“You know _nothing_ of Anakin. You met him once, briefly. I practically raised him, fought alongside him. There was no one in the entire galaxy, living or dead, that knew Anakin more than I did. I was more of his family than you ever were. As for my people, they were not the ones who started the war. We were trapped by our enemy on both sides, and for all of our abilities, we were not able to see what lied ahead. My people, for all their faults, did not deserve _genocide_.” Ben’s tone was icy, and the feelings accompanying it sent literal shivers down Luke’s spine. 

Uncle Owen’s face rapidly paled as he stepped back a few steps, unconsciously trying to get as far away as he could from the other man. Aunt Beru stood stiff, frozen with fear, as Ben's gaze moved across the room, finally stopped when his eyes met Luke, who moved away from the table, closer to Ben.

Luke came to a stop right in front of Ben, tilting his head up to look the man in the face. The room was silent, aside from Uncle Owen's audible breaths on the other side of the room. Ben's gaze on him wasn't urgent nor insistent, yet Luke had the feeling that he was waiting for something. Waiting for Luke.

Luke bit his lip and finally asked the question he’d been dying to ask since he met the man. “What are you?”

There was complete silence in the room for a few minutes. Just as Luke was afraid that he wouldn't get an answer, Ben replied, “I am a Jedi, Luke, just like your father was.” 

Luke was not prepared in the slightest for the amount of _painagonysuffering_ in that sentence. It was immeasurable. Luke stumbled, missing the alarmed look on Ben’s face as he leaned forwards against him and mumbled into his robes, “Why are you hurting so much?”

He could hear the steady beat of Ben’s heart as well as the vibrations of the chest as he spoke. “I-I’m sorry Luke. I wasn’t aware that you could sense me that closely.”

Luke pressed against the man harder, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply. “That’s not an answer.”

He felt a hint of _amusement_ from Ben before it disappeared and the constant _painsadnessagony_ swept over the man, drowning him in the feeling like a tidal wave. “All of my friends and family are gone. I’m all alone. That’s why I’m hurting, young Luke.”

Luke furrowed his brows, contemplating his next move. He raised his arms and gently embraced Ben, wrapping his arms tightly around the man’s lower waist. Luke turned his face to bury it into Ben’s stomach, mind racing as he tried to think of what else he could do to help the sad, lonely man. “You’re not alone. You have me.”

Ben didn’t reply. Luke was worried that he’d said the wrong thing, and just as he was about to apologise for what he said, he felt Ben place his hand on the back of his head and run them through his short locks of hair, sending pleasurable, light shocks down his spine. Overjoyed, Luke held as still as he could to try and retain the feeling for as long as possible. When he got to the point where he felt the tingly feeling all over his body, he pushed the feeling as hard as he could in Ben’s direction. Luke’s eyes flew open as Ben stumbled back, wrenched out of Luke’s embrace, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the warm, delightful feeling sent his way.

Ben looked down at Luke in astonishment, his bright blue-green eyes locked onto his. Ben continued to stare at Luke, clearly contemplating something, before crouching down on his knees in front of Luke, meeting him at eye-level. Ben sighed, “Evidently, this is not something you are willing to relinquish is it?”

Luke had no idea what any of that sentence meant, so he just nodded his head. Ben, obviously sensing that Luke wasn’t sure of what he’d just said, tried again, “Luke, you want me to keep teaching you, don’t you?”

Luke nodded quicker this time, excited at the thought of what he thought was coming. Ben looked past Luke this time, up at his Uncle and Aunt, who were beginning to come out of their shock. They began to object, but Luke ignored them and stared up hopefully at Ben, eyes wide, pleading for something that he has wanted more than anything since he met the strange, lonely man who was the first person in his life that Luke had seen.

(He didn’t see Uncle Owen move from his place across the room, a determined glint in his eyes, something that would haunt him in his dreams for some time afterward.)

It all happened very quickly. One second Luke was grinning up at Ben, and the next thing Luke saw was Ben crumpling to the ground with his Uncle standing over him, knuckles bloodied and breathing heavily, a wild look in his eyes as he stared down at the injured Jedi.

There was a tense moment where no one moved before Luke screamed and the room blew itself apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beru and Owen: what do ya got there luke?
> 
> Luke, trying to hide the fact that he's meditating: a smoothie
> 
> Also
> 
> Ben: I'm sorry luke but i can't teach you
> 
> Luke: y not?? who hurt u???
> 
> Luke, two minutes later: YOU HURT HIM???
> 
> Owen, realising what a terrible mistake he's made: Kark, i really screwed this one up
> 
> (sorry if this one's not that funny but the chapter's longer so i think it works out)


	6. Chapter 6

“LUKE!”

Luke didn’t listen to whoever was yelling his name. Why should he? The sight of Ben’s face, dripping with blood, seared itself into Luke’s young mind. He felt a strange sort of hazy feeling fill his mind the longer he thought on it.

“Luke?”

The voice sounded worried, which Luke really couldn’t empathize with right now. All Luke could feel was the rush of blood through his veins, an ever-consuming _angerdisgusthatred_ directed towards his Uncle (the mere thought of him sent a fresh wave of _fury_ through him). The strength of the emotions threatened to suffocate Luke. He wasn’t sure where all of it came from; surely his resentment didn’t extend this far? His eyes refocused on his Uncle and the ensuing tsunami of rage almost drowned him. 

Luke could feel Ben’s light reach out towards him, wrapping itself around his own light, which he could sense for the first time, and surrounding it with waves of _peacecalmsafety_ that sent a warm, not unpleasant feeling through him. Luke felt some of the overwhelming anger in him dissipate at the light, warm feeling. Luke finally turned to look away from Uncle Owen and instead focused his gaze on Ben. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and grasp what he was seeing and feeling. Ben, with dried blood still visible on his face, was looking a Luke with worry and a little bit of what Luke realized, with a dawning sense of horror, was fear. 

For the first time, Luke looked around the room, taking in the damage and disarray he had unknowingly wrought. The table legs had given out, causing the tabletop to smash into large pieces on the ground, the table legs staked into the adjacent wall, protruding from the vertical surface alarmingly. Of course, the breakfast which had been placed on the table at the time had caused a mess, the bowls and plates having fallen off the table, breaking into pieces, and the food having been smeared across the floor and wall. The chairs had all been thrown against the wall as well, based on the multitude of pieces laying by the wall, which sported many indents clearly caused by objects being thrown against it. The nearby shelf had also collapsed, the items it had displayed laying in various states of disrepair.

Most upsetting of all was the way Aunt Beru looked. (the sight of Uncle Owen still sent a wave of _anger_ rushing through Luke, so he ignored him). Aunt Beru looked at Luke with no little amount of concern, though all Luke could feel from her was the overwhelming _fear_ that was evidently caused by the sight of the destruction Luke had caused in a few short moments.

Finally, Luke turned back to face Ben, who had risen off of the floor and moved to stand right beside in the time it took Luke to look around the room. He felt the last sparks of rage simmer and burn out, disappearing into the recesses of his mind. Unwillingly, Luke felt his eyes begin to burn as tears began to fall. This wasn’t what he wanted. He hadn’t wanted to scare anyone, for his loved ones to look at him with such _fear_ in their eyes.

Luke felt a warm hand cup his cheek, brushing his tears away with smooth strokes. Luke leaned into the gentle touch, sniffling as he cried.

“Oh, Luke. It’s alright, you’re not in any trouble, I promise.” Ben’s soft assurances cracked something in Luke, a deep fear of rejection that he had carried ever since he realized that not everyone could feel like he could, move things around like him, except Ben.

“I’m sorry,” Luke sobbed miserably, “I didn’t mean it. I just- you got hurt and then I got mad at Uncle Owen and everything just got thrown around, even though you told me not to use my feelings,” He stumbled over his words, “uh, powers when I’m angry, but it was an accident. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hurt you or Aunt Beru or Uncle Owen, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Ben shushed Luke, still wiping away his tears. Luke took the prerogative to throw his arms back around Ben’s waist for the second time that day, pressing his face into Ben’s robes, feeling Ben’s brief _disgust_ at the snot being wiped on his robes. Luke moved to pull away, distraught at the idea that he’d ruined something else, but to his surprise, Ben ignored it and moved closer, wrapping his robes around Luke completely, letting Luke hold onto him as hard as he could. 

“It’s alright Luke, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay. You’re scared of me now.” Luke said despairingly. When Ben opened his mouth to say otherwise, Luke persisted. “I know you are, I felt it.”

Ben simply looked at Luke for a minute, eventually causing Luke to squirm in discomfort at the uncomfortably long look. Thankfully, Ben began to speak, “Luke, it’s not that I-,” He paused and looked across the room where Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen were standing. “We are scared of you. It’s that we are scared _for_ you. We want to help you, Luke, because,” Here Ben looked uncomfortable but proceeded on to say, “We care for you deeply and only want to protect you.”

Luke heard Aunt Beru from the other side of the room, her voice muffled by Ben’s robe that he was still pressed against. “Ben’s right, Luke. We’re,” Even without being able to see her, Luke could feel the pointed look she threw Uncle Owen as she continued, “not scared of you, we’re just worried for you.”

There were a few moments of silence where no one spoke. Finally, Uncle Owen broke the silence, speaking for the first time since Luke had screamed. “Beru’s right. It’s just, do you need to learn this Jedi,” His Uncle paused, clearly stopping himself from saying something derogatory, “Stuff from...this man?”

Luke ripped himself away from Ben, suddenly turning and moving towards his Uncle. “Why do you keep saying these...things about Ben?”

Uncle Owen huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. “I don’t get why you’re so damn attached to him! You don’t even know him all that well.”

Luke exclaimed frustratingly. "You-you don't understand. He's all warmth and light and goodness. He's like the first glimpse of light after spending years in the dark, the first sip of water after hours in the heat. I can feel him and connect with him in a way you can never understand. Even now, I can feel his presence from across the desert, across the planet if I wanted to. And he's just one person. I can't even imagine how it would be like to grow up, surrounded by those just like him…" Luke trailed off, his voice growing hoarse as his passionate outburst came to a stop.

“That’s certainly one way of putting it.” Ben’s voice cut through before Luke could say any more. Luke felt his face redden as he turned back to face Ben, who now looked at him with wry amusement in his eyes and a small embarrassed, yet pleased smile.

Uncle Owen opened his mouth, however, before he could speak, Ben cut in again. “I believe we need to discuss this, now. Luke needs to learn of the Force, to understand his abilities better.”

“No, he doesn’t.”

* * *

Listening to Luke’s thoughts was both a pleasure and filled Obi-Wan with great sorrow. To hear how Luke perceived him, why he felt so connected to them, so close gave Obi-Wan a glimmer of joy and bright delight in his otherwise bleak circumstances. On the other hand, it was heartbreaking. What Obi-Wan would give, wouldn’t do to give this bright youngling the chance to grow and live among others just like him, surrounded by hundreds and thousands of other Light Force Users, other Jedi. Unfortunately, that could never come to pass, so Obi-Wan trudged on with his most recent mission and his most pressing task.

“He needs to be taught.” Obi-Wan insisted. There was a strange irony in how his own Master had once declared the same for the child's father, and here Obi-Wan was, decades later, advocating the same for his son. 

"This isn't the first instance of Luke accidentally using his abilities to create havoc. The longer he remains untrained, the more such incidents will continue to occur and the risk of him being discovered will increase as well." Obi-Wan looked Owen and Beru in the eyes, holding their gaze until they both looked away with bitter acceptance in their expression.

"I cannot protect him nor can I shield him from detection for the rest of his life," Obi-Wan concluded softly, feeling empathetic for their worry for Luke. Despite his misgivings and their wildly contradictory views, ultimately it was them who were raising Luke and who loved and cared for him in a manner that Obi-Wan was unable to.

(In another universe, Obi-Wan decided to raise Luke on his own as a Padawan. In another, he raised him as a child, at least as much as he could. In another, the Lars' raised Luke and he didn't receive any training at all until the day two droids led him to Ben Kenobi, the hermit who he rarely spoke to that he would shortly discover is a Jedi Master. In this universe, Luke will be trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi, also known as Ben Jinn, and the galaxy will be better off for it.)

Surprisingly, Owen acquiesced with little effort. It seems the events of the last hour had taken it’s toll, the man clearly reluctant, yet offering no other protest. Beru agreed as well, though she had seemed to be the more openminded and accepting of the pair from the beginning.

Obi-Wan turned back to Luke, who seemed inordinately pleased having gotten his wish to learn - for _Obi-Wan_ to teach him - fulfilled. He didn’t even argue when Obi-Wan told him that his Aunt would drop him off at his place tomorrow to begin his training. Luke simply nodded, a wide grin still fixed on his face, a far more pleasant look than the ones that had preceded it.

(Darkness emanated from the blonde. The strength of the dark emotions that had almost brought him to his knees in despair. _NotagainnotagainpleaseIcan’tdothisagainnotAnakinnotLukenotmyPadawanplease_.)

Obi-Wan bowed his head, departing with his usual farewell. He had completed his most difficult obstacle: obtaining Luke’s guardians’ permission to train the child. Obi-Wan felt the small inkling of hope in his being rise and surge, the feeling beginning to grow as he thought to the future. Despite everything, Obi-Wan felt significantly more hopeful than he had in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke: I HATE YOU!
> 
> Obi-Wan, having war flashbacks: Not this again
> 
> Also
> 
> Qui-Gon: Maybe I should try and help?
> 
> Qui-Gon, seeing what Luke did in 0.2 seconds: nvm, Obi-Wan clearly has this in hand
> 
> Obi-Wan, yelling: LUKE?? LUKE? Listen to me, why are you are bull-headed as your father, I swear on the Force-
> 
> (if you're wondering why it took a while for this chapter to come out, I've been writing other star wars fics so you should definitely subscribe to this series if you want to check out my other works!)


	7. Chapter 7

“Aunt Beru, Uncle Owen!”

Luke raced out of his room, looking into doorways for his guardians.

“In here, Luke.” Aunt Beru’s voice sounded from the kitchen.

Luke made his way to the kitchen as fast as he could, taking care not to knock anything over on his way there.

“Let’s go! It’s time to see Ben for my training!”

Luke could hardly wait. He fidgeted restlessly for the entirety of the morning, eating his breakfast in record time, ignoring his Uncle’s disapproving grunts. He kept up the energy on the way in the speeder with his Aunt, tapping his fingers along the side rhythmically, until they finally reached Ben’s home. Luke hurriedly knocked on the door, hoping they hadn’t come too early and had woken Ben up from his sleep. Thankfully, Ben opened the door after a few moments, seemingly wide awake.

“Hi, Ben!” Luke greeted excitably, moving forward to hug the man briefly before entering the home, ignoring his Aunt’s calls to slow down.

“Hello, Luke,” Ben replied warmly, stiffening at the unexpected touch before relaxing as he let go and invited them in. 

Luke paid little attention to Ben greeting his Aunt, instead of taking the time to look around the small house. It hadn’t changed at all from what he remembered from a short time ago, yet it felt different now. His newfound knowledge of the inhabitant and who he was made him look upon the meagre residence with eager anticipation, coming to associate the home with the light, warm feeling that was Ben. If he focused hard enough, Luke could almost feel traces of Ben’s light all around the place, not dissimilar to the faint warmth that clung to his handcrafted toys that he just realized must have come from Ben.

Ben’s voice filtered back into Luke’s senses. “Mrs. Lars, please do take a seat. Would you like some tea? I’m just about to prepare some for myself.”

“No, thank you,” Luke’s Aunt replied. “We just finished breakfast a short while ago.”

Luke made his way to the kitchen where Ben was making his tea. Ben’s eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled down at Luke, giving him a warm feeling in his chest. Suddenly feeling bashful for no particular reason, Luke looked away from Ben around the small room, taking note of the various appliances.

“Are you hungry?” Ben gently laid down his cup on the counter, moving to add a quick squeeze of some type of syrup he pulled out of the refrigerator, before putting it back in. Luke watched, transfixed, as Ben stirred the tea with a small spoon, tapping the sides of the cup lightly before placing it on the counter.

“No,” Luke replied, raising himself on his toes to look into the cup, “Can I have tea too?” He asked shyly.

Ben laughed softly. “Of course. Give me a few moments to put together a cup for you.”

A few minutes later, Luke exited the kitchen, following behind Ben. Aunt Beru raised her eyebrows from where she sat on a chair at the cup in Luke’s hands but didn’t comment on it to Luke’s great relief. While it was true that he was interested in trying the tea, he was mostly just trying to make it so that Ben likes him enough to keep teaching him. Luke promised himself to work hard and not disappoint Ben, but for now, he would try to behave properly when he was with Ben.

Luke took a seat beside his Aunt, blowing on the tea to try and cool it a little bit before he drank, once again tuning out the sound of conversation from his Aunt and Ben, choosing to focus his attention on the tea. He raised the cup to his lips, taking a few small sips. To his delight, the tea tasted wonderfully sweet, the syrup had melded with the tea blend in a way that highlighted the sweetness in a way that didn’t detract from the taste of the tea itself.

Eventually, his Aunt decided to leave, asking Ben to bring Luke home to which Ben nodded his head in agreement. She bid them goodbye and Luke did the same before returning to his seat and finishing the rest of his tea.

“Enjoying it, are you?”

Flushing slightly, Luke wiped his chin where a little bit of tea had slid down in his haste to consume the delectable beverage. Luke hesitated before cleaning his hand on his clothes, causing Ben to hand him a fresh napkin from the table. He wiped his hand on the napkin instead, happy at the opportunity to prove his good manners by not wiping his hands on his clothing.

“It’s good. I really like it!” Luke added with enthusiasm.

Ben hummed, taking a careful sip from his cup. “It’s a blend I learned to make after I came to live here on Tatooine, by adding and mixing certain ingredients,” He threw a sly look at Luke before he continued, “which will remain unnamed.”

Luke was more intrigued by the first part of the statement. “Before you lived here? Where did you live before Tatooine?”

Ben’s eyes became unfocused, becoming clouded and moved to the window on the opposing wall. “I lived on Coruscant for a long time, but that was a different time.”

Luke faltered momentarily, feeling the _anguishregretbitterness_ exuding from Ben, but pressed on nonetheless, his desire to know overpowering his hesitation. “Why did you come here to Tatooine then?”

Luke felt a pang in his chest as Ben’s eyes grew more distant, the constant _painhurtsorrow_ growing stronger by the minute.

“You know how Jedi are not allowed in the Empire?”

Luke nodded slowly.

“I came here to bring you to your Aunt and Uncle and hide here to protect you. I taught your father for many years and had been tasked with bringing you to your family on Tatooine.”

“You taught my father how to be a Jedi?” Luke gasped, mouth agape as he processed this information.

Ben breathed in deeply, closing his eyes for a moment before he continued, “Yes, I met him when he was a child around your age on Tatooine. He soon became my Padawan learner as you shall be and spent the next decade and a half by my side until…” He faltered, his voice had grown quieter as he spoke.

Luke bit his lip, wanting to know more about his father but at the same time not wanting to hurt Ben more.

“Did you-did you know my mother?” He asked tentatively.

Ben gave a small, sad smile. “I did. Though I didn’t know her very well, she was a dear friend that I had met back when I first met your father. She was a very passionate woman, driven to serve the Republic until her very last breath.”

Luke felt the _regretmiserydespair_ , except this time it felt closer. Not because Ben was close to him, but like it was inside of Luke, like _Luke_ was the one feeling this way and not Ben. Yesterday, Ben said that he didn’t think that Luke would sense him that closely, so does that mean that this was a Jedi power?

Luke decided to end this line of conversation for the time being. He scrambled to find a way to try and lift Ben’s spirits. “What’s a Padawan?”

Fortunately, it worked. Ben’s eyes lightened as he explained, “A Padawan is a Jedi apprentice. They are part of a Master and Padawan duo, the Master of whom is responsible for the teaching and well-being of the Padawan until they pass their Trials and become a Jedi Knight.”

“Does this mean that you’re my Master and I’m your Padawan since you’re going to teach me to be a Jedi too?” Luke couldn’t restrain the wide grin on his face, eager for Ben to reply.

“I suppose it does,” Ben mused, raising a hand to smooth his auburn beard slowly. However, he quickly grew serious, finishing his cup before placing it down and reached over to hold Luke’s hands and squeezed them, ensuring that he had Luke’s attention fully focused on him, not that it hadn’t already been.

“This is the most important part of your training, alright, so pay heed to my words.” At Luke’s nod, he continued, his voice strong but not forceful, “No one must be told of who we are, no one aide from your Aunt and Uncle. Not your friends, not the other settlers, and most certainly not the Empire. No one can know. Being Force-sensitive makes you a target enough, being a Jedi and a _Skywalker_ -“ Ben cut himself off abruptly.

Luke moved one of his hands from Ben’s hold and placed it atop of one of Ben’s hands, sandwiching it between his own. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

Ben paused for a brief moment, contemplating something before adding, “If you’re ever captured by the Empire, _especially_ the Emperor, try as hard as you can to not have them find out your name. They will know who your father is based on your surname and it would not be pleasant. However,” His eyebrow twitched, “If you do find yourself being captive by Darth Vader, give him your full name. Hopefully, it will put him off balance long enough for me to come to your aid.”

Luke frowned. “Why would Darth Vader care about my last name?”

Ben's expression soured. “He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t care about you, but in the worst-case scenario, it would be a surprise to him to put him off killing you long enough for backup to arrive. This is just a hypothetical scenario.”

Luke bit the inside of his cheek. This sounded dangerous, and not a little frightening if he was honest. “Why would they be surprised?”

Ben sighed, “Jedi are - were, I suppose now - not to have offspring, except for a few exceptions. It did happen from time to time but if the Jedi gave them to the Jedi Order to raise them in the Temple, they would have no such relation with them other than as another Order member. Some chose to leave the Order entirely, to raise them as their own which was also acceptable, however, they would no longer be Jedi. Your parents had secretly gotten married and your mother became pregnant sometime after, but instead of your father leaving the Order or deciding to give them to the Jedi, they chose not to inform,” He paused, and then seeing Luke’s blank face, amended himself by saying, “tell anyone. After that...your mother died giving birth and your father was killed on Coruscant the day the Empire rose and the Jedi were killed.”

Luke swallowed, feeling tears pricking his eyes as he felt a wave of _griefsadnesshurt_ from Ben that felt very close to what Luke himself was feeling.

“I got it. I won’t tell anyone.”

Ben’s eyes softened, and he leaned over to place a hand on Luke’s shoulder gently, obviously trying to some comfort. Luke, choosing to bypass this small gesture, rose from his seat and scrambled atop Ben, who huffed when his foot accidentally made contact with his stomach.

Luke sat in Ben’s lap and wrapped his arms once more around the man as he buried his face in his neck, smelling the scent of the special tea blend and something that was uniquely Ben.

“It’s okay, I have you now,” Luke whispered, tightening his grip on the Jedi. He would learn to be a Jedi and how to protect Ben from all of the bad people that wanted to hurt him, like the Empire. Ben was _his_ Jedi, _his_ Master, and nobody else could hurt him. He breathed in slowly, repeating those words in his mind until it sunk in.

If Luke had raised his head, he would have seen Ben with a disturbed expression on his face, glancing down at Luke worriedly, sensing the directions his thoughts were going in, but not knowing exactly what he was thinking of.

  
 _Mine_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke: dw ur mine now and I'll love you forever and ever and ever and-
> 
> Qui-Gon: hey, uh, Obi-Wan? you might want to pay attention to Luke here. He seems to have the same possessive Skywalker traits as his father.
> 
> Obi-Wan, hugging Luke: you hear something?
> 
> Also
> 
> Luke: can I have tea?
> 
> Obi-Wan: sure (finally a Skywalker with some taste!)
> 
> Luke: can you be my Master?
> 
> Obi-Wan: yes, of course Luke
> 
> Luke: can I live with you? can you stay with me forever? i promise I'll grow stronger and protect you from all of the evil people who don't like you, like Darth Vader
> 
> Obi-Wan: sur-wAIT WHAT
> 
> (if you like this fic, check out my other works. it's mostly time travel, but i've got more star wars fic in the works right now, which is why these chapters take so long whoops)


End file.
